Are Xbox Exclusives Coming Back? Here's What Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Had To Say

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has further discussed her thought process as it relates to exclusive games, saying in a new interview that she plans to be thoughtful in whatever decision she comes to.

Speaking to Game File, Sharma said she wants to make "the right decision, not the fastest decision" because such a decision has major ramifications. Whatever Sharma and the team land on in terms of exclusives will amount to "long-swinging decisions that have decade-long impact," she said.

So how will Sharma and her team decide if the company will change its policy around exclusive games? There isn't one specific approach that the company will take--whatever happens, it will be the result of taking multiple issues under consideration.

"We'll take a data-driven approach and a strategic-driven approach, and then we'll look at our principles and we'll make some calls," she said. There is no specific timeframe for when Microsoft may adjust its policies, she said, only stating that it will be a thoughtful decision.

In a memo to staff recently, Sharma said one of her missions is to "re-evaluate" the approach to exclusivity, which could mean a lot of things. Fans have called on Microsoft to return to exclusive games--and Sharma has heard those calls--but it remains to be seen if anything will change.

There was a time, years ago, when Microsoft only released its major console games on Xbox platforms as part of a time-tested strategy to promote one's own platform and brand. That changed in a big way in 2024 when Microsoft launched a new campaign to bring its first-party games to rival consoles, including PS5 and Switch, in addition to PC. This shift reportedly came as part of a directive from Microsoft management to increase margins, and that's something Microsoft denied. Whatever the case, bringing Xbox games to rival systems has made Microsoft a lot of money. Forza Horizon 5, for example, reportedly earned more than $300 million on PlayStation 5 alone.

Microsoft claimed the shift in strategy to release more games on more platforms was an effort to break down the traditional console walls and meet people where they are. But the decision was criticized by core fans. With regards to multiplatform releases, Microsoft maintained that there was no one specific formula, and Microsoft would makes decisions on a title-by-title basis, or at least it did under the leadership of Phil Spencer.

With Sharma taking over as Xbox CEO, things could change. She has already shown an eagerness to ditch some of the efforts from the previous Xbox administration, killing off the controversial "This Is an Xbox" campaign and removing new Call of Duty games from Game Pass.

In her memo to staff, Sharma signaled even more changes could come. She and Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty said they will consider changes to "windowing" for first-party games, which means Microsoft could carve out other top titles from Game Pass as well.

For what it's worth, GameSpot understands that games set for release in 2026--including Forza Horizon 6, the Fable reboot, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Gears of War: E-Day--all remain on track to launch into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate when they arrive, at least for now.

Perks like Fortnite Crew, EA Play, and Ubisoft+ Classics, along with access to online console multiplayer and cloud gaming with no restrictions, will remain part of Game Pass Ultimate, GameSpot understands.

Sharma and Booty said they may also make changes to how Xbox approaches AI. This has been a key concern for many, especially given Sharma's background in the AI space. It remains to be seen what changes could come in this department, however. Microsoft, after all, is all-in on AI as a company, spending billions and billions in the US and abroad to build out its AI infrastructure.

Xbox fans will get to find out what's next for the platform in June when Microsoft hosts its annual Xbox Games Showcase. This event will be immediately followed by a Gears of War: E-Day event.